Stationary type hop picking machine



June 17, 1947. DAUENHAUER Re. 22,889

STATIONARY TYPE no? PICKING MACHINE Original Filed Dec; 8, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I i "INVENTOR. 110191.412; F124 UEATHJ UIEB AT TOENEYS' June 17, 1947. F. F.'DAUENHAUER- STATIONARY TYPE HOP PICKING MACHINE Re. 22,889 I ori inal Filed Dec. 8, 1941- 2 Sheets-Ghost 2 I INVENTOR. v 120214 FDHUENHHUER BY I ATTOBNE Y5 fieissued june 1 7,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICIE Serial No. 422,049, December 8, 1941.

Applica tion for reissue December 14, 1946, Serial No.

13 Claims.

Hops are raised on a trellis sixteen to eighteen feet in height. When ripe, the vines are out about four feet from the ground, the strings supporting their upper ends to the wire or trellis overhead being either broken by pulling on the vines or cut. Hand picking of hops, owing to the conditions surrounding the growing of hops, the shortness of the season, scarcity of labor and the like, is very expensive and the best hand picking leaves a large percentage of foreign material in the hops and the necessary sacking, boxing and delay in getting hand picked hops to the dry house often results in the discoloring, bruising and flattening of the hops themselves and entails many objectionable incidents.

My invention is an improvement over Patents Nos. 1,054,119 and 1,054,551 covering an apparatus and method for picking hops. In the patents, the picker drums are arranged in two horizontal rows with the drums in the upper row being disposed vertically above the drums in the lower row. The passage between the two rows of drums in the patented devices is therefore restricted in depth between each pair of drums and is of greater depth between adjacent sets of drums. This results in a passage having varying depths and the vines will be unnecessarily compressed each time they are moved through the restricted portions of the passage. The breakage of parts of the vines takes place more readily because of this. Moreover, the arrangement of the drums in vertical pairs leads to another disadvantageous feature of the machine. The hops are picked only where the vertical pairs of drums occur and no picking takes place between adjacent pairs of drums. The picking operation is therefore not continuous throughout the length of the passage.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a hop picker in which the picking of the hops is continuous throughout the length of the passage through which the vines are moved. A further object of my invention is to provide a passage of uniform depth throughout. A more complete picking of the hops results and there is less breakage of the vines since the vines are carried through a passage of uniform depth rather than through one where the depth varies between each pair of successive drums.

A further object of my invention is to provide a novel vine carrier made of endless cables and carrying vine grasper bars, the bars in turn having vine gripping jaws that are automatically closed on the vines at the feeding end of the machine and are automatically opened so as to free the vines at the exit end of the machine.

The use of cables in place of chains has proved far more satisfactory in operation and is less costly to build. Novel means is used for causing the two cables to move in unison so that the grasper bars will always remain in proper position. I also provide novel means for pressing the vines down upon certain of the hop picking drums in order to insure a complete removal of the hops from the vines.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the following specification, and the novel features of the device will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the entire device, a portion being broken away for clarity;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of a drive pulley for the endless carrier;

Figure 3 is an end View of the drive pulley;

Figure 4 is an elevationalview of a drum end for the picking drums;

Figure 5 is a side elevation of Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged detail of the machine showing three of the hop picking drums, this view being taken on the side of the machine opposite from Figure 1;

Figure 7 is a section along the line 'l! of Figure 6;

Figure 8 illustrates the hop picking fingers carried b the drum;

Figure 9 is a plan View of a grasper bar and the vine gripping jaws;

Figure 10 is a View similar to Figure 9 and shows the jaws in closed position;

Figure 11 is a side view of the jaw opening mechanism; and

Figures 12 and 13 are side views of the jaw closing mechanism shown in two positions.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention it should be understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In carrying out my invention I provide a frame, indicated generally at A. This frame is of considerable size, being approximately seventy-five Endless carrier for vines The carrier is composed of two endless cables 2 that are passed around a pair of idler pulleys 3 disposed adjacent to the platform I and then the upper reach 2a of each endless cable is passed over a second idler pulley 4 and thence around a asst is supported in bearings 8 that slide on brackets A'leaf spring IIJ is 9 or other suitable supports. connected to each bearing 3 and tendsto move, the bearings and pulleys 3 to therightin Figure 1 for automatically taking up any slack in the carrier. An adjusting bolt II is used for varying the tension of each spring I5, and the springs in turn will hold the proper tension on each endless cable 2.

Knobs I2 are secured to the cables and are spaced at equal intervals along both cables. O-ne ofjfth'e drive pulleys '5 is shown in detail in Figure 2 and 3, and it willbe noted that the peripher; Zofjthe pulley carries] outwardly extending U-shaped members l3' or knob gripping means. The cableds received between the arms, of the Uasbap dinembersa kno s. are too lar to passf h ueblt le space p o de b twee the arms. The result is that as the drive pulley rotates co unter cloekwise in Figure 2, the U- sliapedmembei's I3 will contact with the knobs l2 and carry them around the drive pulleyand thusmove the cables. The carrier is moved by the pulleys 5 and thetwq endless cables are kept in, synchrony with each other by the members l3enga'gin'g the knobs l 2.1 means for rotating the drive pulleys ,5, may be resorted to. and I havejjshowhe motor diagrammatic'ally at [5, a clutch l5 operated by theinotor', and a shaft 16 extending from the clutch and in turn rotating a shaft I11 that extends at right angles to the shaft i'fil'f'l'he jshaft llis'operatively connected to the drive pulleylj by a chain and sprocket, indicated generally at 18. Any other driving means may be resortedto if desired. So far as 'I am aware, the use of cables 2 in place of chains in'the vine grasper assembly, isentirely new and has proved far more satisfactory in operation and less costlytobuild. Whenchains are used, thesprockets keep the two chains moving" in synchrony. In using twocables in place of chains, I havejsolved the problem ofn'iovin'g the cables in synchrony by providing knobs on the 'cablesand ,U -'shaped members l3 on the pulleys 5' for. causing the knob-s12 to, be moved by the members 13.

heicarrier designed to support vines and movtheinf from one endbf the machine'to the other'jandft'henback to, the front end while hop picking drums engage with the vines and remove the'h'o'pstherefrom; It,is best to describe the tol'retract from the bar C and thelevers 21. A

vine grippingfmeans'and'then to set forth the particular construction of the hop picking drums. Vine gripping means is seeuredto the cables, The bar is preferably hollow and has its ends flattened, A strap I9 is passed around the cable 2 and has its free ends insertedinto the slot formed by the flattenedend of the bar, the. ends being secured to the bar by rivets 20. I he strap [9 bears against o-neof the knobs l2 and the knobs move the bars along with the cables. Although Figures 9 and 10 show only one of the cables 2 and the manner of connectingthe bar to, the cable, the other cable is connected to theother bar end in' the same manner. The bar has a carriage 2| securedthereto at each end, and rollers Hare mounted on the carriage and are designed to ride on aniundulating track received.

hereinafter described. The cables 2 are moved in synchronywith each other, and this will cause the grasper barsC to remain parallel with each other at all times. The cables 2 are free to rotate in the straps 19 in which they are loosely In actual service, the cables rotate Within'th'e straps at a uniform speed directly in proportion to the travel of the cables over the pulleys. The wear on the cables is thus evenly distributed over the entir surface of the cable 7 resulting in a much longer wear.

The vine gripping jaws are shown in open position in FigureQ and in closed position in Figure 10. Stationary jaws 23 are secured to the bar C and swingable jaws 24 are pivoted at 25 so as to be moved against the stationary jaws 23, The jawslf l carry arms and the arms are connected to lev er s Zl, the levers being received inslot j Z8 in the arms. The levers in turn are pivotdjat 2 9"to supports 30' thatare carried by the bar C. A w ledisp ine' b ers aga fis the sup ort 30 n ase is ithe a m 26- he s ll s t pn i ucht t th v ineabl i w 'fla d t l rs 2 may be swun b yond dead centerfin either dir'eetion and in one position willhol'd the jaws closed and in the other position willhold the jaws open. Figures 1 9 and ll 1 th aw o en g me h nism d c ted erierally t n. The bar Cis'moved to the right along the lower reach 2b of the endless cable, see arrow a in Figureihjand the bar engages with anQ arrn 32 of the jaw opening mechanism D that ispivotally securedat 3 3. 'to the irame'A." As the bar Cm'oves to the right in Figure 11, the arm 32 will be swung counter-clockwise and vvill force a ca m 34 down between thebar C andfthe free endsp'f the levers 21. The arm 32 and cam 34 are placed midw'a'y'between the sides of thefmachinenj As/the cam is moved it will swing the levers beyond dead center (notethe center dotted line position in Figure 11) and the jaws ,will be held linj' openposition thereafter by the springs 3!. The cam 34 isshown in dotted lines'iniFigure When the bar C reaches the secondidotted linepositiomshown in Figure 11, it willstart springyfl, see Figure l, willgreturn the arm -32 back'to normal position, and a stop .36 vvill hold the arm in'a position where it will be engaged by v the next, bar C,

The jawswill remain in open position during the movement oftheba'r C from the jaw opening mechanism D to a jaw-closing mechanism, indicated generally at E in Figures 12 and l3. Bell crank levers 3T areplaced in the path of the .bars cane 'thelever s 21. A spring disclosed at'the left hand portion Of Figure 12 normally holds each, bell crank lever in the position shown in Figure 12. 1 The bar 0 will engage with the levers 3? when. it is moving along the upper reach 2a of the endlessfcable and therefore the bar will be moving in the direction of the arrows b shown in Figures '12 .an d 13 I The ba C will move one leg 3m ofeach bell crank lever 3l-and this wi1l cause the other leg 31b to engage with its lever 21 and to swingitltowar d the bar c, W the is mounted upon an axle 39.

The closing of the jawsby the jaw closing mechanism E will cause them to grip vines that are fed from the platform I and placed in the space between the cables 2. The vines will be moved along the top reach 2a over picking drums F which will now be described.

Hop pickin drums Two rows Fl and F2 of picking drums F are provided and extend substantially throughout the length of the machine. The drumsF in each row are identical and therefore a description of one will suffice. In Figure 4 a drum end 38 is illustrated. The end is in the shape of a disc and Reinforcing webs 40 extend from the axle to the disc and, hold the drum end or head in a plane at right angles to the axle axis. Around the periphery of the drum, radially extending cuts are made and these extend inwardly a predetermined distance. The cut out portions form flanges 4l that are bent inwardly so as to extend at right angles to the plane of the drum head. Both drum heads are formed in the same manner, and recesses 42 are provided around the peripheries by the downturned fianges.

Finger carrying bars 43 of the type shown in Figure 8 have their ends received in the recesses or sockets 42, and the ends rest on the flanges 4l. Bolts 44 are passed through openings in the bar ends and are also passed through openings in the flanges. Nuts secure the bolts in place and in this manner the spaced bars 43 constitute the periphery of the cylinder. The bolts 44 need not be U-bolts, but may merely be straight bolts and secure the bars in place in the manner indicated.

Each bar carries a plurality of picking fingers, indicated generally at 45 in Figure 8. The fingers may be made of any material desired, and I have shown wires bent into U-portions and secured to the bar by a strip 46. The U-portions of the wires are preferably V-shaped, see Figure 8, and are bent at an angle as shown at 45a in Figure 6. The drums in the lower row F2 in Figure 1 rotate in a counter-clockwise direction, while the drums in the upper row Fl rotate in a clockwise direction. The. fingers are so inclined as to move into the vines to remove hops therefrom.

The drums in the two rows are arranged to form an undulating passage for vines therebetween and to accomplish this, the drums in the lower row F2 are staggered with respect to those in the upper row Fl, and the drums in the lower row are disposed midway between the drums in the upper row. The hop-picking fingers 45 describe circumferential paths when the drums are rotated. The vertical distance between the plane of the axes of the drums in the row Fl and the plane of the axes of the drums in the row F2 is less than the diameters of said circumferential paths. The diagonal spacings of the drums in the row Fl from the adjacent drums in the row F2 is greater than the distance between planes extending tangentially to confronting peripheries of the drums in the two rows (see Figure 6). The distance between the two rows of drums is such as to provide a space or passage that will be corrugated in shape and of substantially the same depth throughout. This will cause the vines which are moved between the two rows of drums to follow an undulating path. Since the path has the same depth throughout its length, I have found that it will give a distinct advantage to the picking drums for two reasons. In the first place, the vines will not be periodically squeezed through restricted portions of the passage as they pass therealong, and therefore they will not have a tendency to break because they are not periodically squeezed. In the second place, the staggering of the drums will cause the teeth or fingers to move against the vines continuously throughout the length of the passage and this will remove more hops than would otherwise be possible.

After the vines have been grasped by the jaws 23 and 24, they are moved along over the tops of the upper row Fl of drums and will be dragged over the fingers 45 of these drums. The drum fingers will remove what hops there are on the under side of the vines. When the vines reach the rear of the machine, they will be reversed in their movement and now will be carried between the two rows of drums and along the undulating path or passage formed thereby.

The grasper bars 0 are moved in an undulating path coinciding with that which is provided between the two rows of drums in order that the bars will not strike the drums. To accomplish this I provide two parallel tracks 41 that are corrugated in accordance with the shape of the undulating passage and are secured to the frame A by supports 48. Figure 7 illustrates how the frame A extends along the side of the track 41 and shows how the rollers 22 ride on the track so as to cause the grasper bar C to move in an undulating path, The tracks are placed between the frame A and the ends of the drums F. The rollers will move the bars C in an undulating manner which will cause the vines to follow the same undulating path formed by the two rows of drums. It will be seen that the fingers on the drums will engage with both sides of the vines to remove hops therefrom as the vines move between the drum rows. It will be practically a continuous engagement of the fingers with the vines throughout the length of the machine due to the fact that the drums are staggered. Where the fingers of one drum leave oil; the fingers on the next drum will take over. The hops removed by the fingers will drop down upon a conveyer belt, indicated generally at G, and will be conveyed to the front or rear of the machine as desire. Baflies (not shown) may be placed on the inner sides of the frame and inclined for directing the hops down upon the conveyer belt.

The drums have their shafts 39 rotatably mounted in bearings 49, and these bearings in turn are carried by the frame A. Sprockets 50 are also secured to the shafts and are engaged by a sprocket chain 5| that extends along the upper and the lower row of drums and is driven by a main drive sprocket 52 which is mounted on the shaft l1. At the front end of the machine the sprocket chain 5| is passed over idler sprockets 53. The movement of the sprocket chain is such that the drums and fingers will rotate in a direction opposite to the movement of the vines. For example, the vines when moved by the reach 2a of the carrier will be moved to the left in Figure 1, as shown by the arrow 0. The upper row of drums Fl will rotate clockwise in order to engage with the vines in a movement reverse to the moving vines for removing hops therefrom. These hops will drop down upon the conveyer G. During the return movement of the vines through the undulating passage between the two rows of rollers, the movement will be to the right in Figure 1. Here the clockwise rotation of the upper row Fl of drums and the counter-clockwise rotation of the low row F2 of drums will cause the fingers in both rows to move contrary to the 7 movement on the: vines; The fingerswi'll rem'ove' hop'siromrthe' topiandabottom of the; layer. of vines;-

In order'toinsure a-.morev complete removalot thezhopsirom the vines, I. have provided: two pressure .bars 54'; see. Figure 6, which. are. placed. above the two. lower. drums:;.that are .disposed nearest the: front. of the machine. Eachi pressure. baris identical in construction. The pressurev bar Skis carried-by two arms 55 which -.in turrrare pivoted to. the frame A1at56. Two chains 151ilimit the downward movement of the arms,. and two springs 58: urge the armsand the pressurebar' downwardly againstthe two. drums .in .the lower row.Fl',.see Figure 1 as well'asFigure- 6." The.

vines willlbe carriedunder the. two pressure bars 51'; and will be yieldingly; held against the; lowerdrums so that all of fthe hopswillfb'e removed jaw portions 23awhen'themovable jaws 24" are in openposition. Thebuttends .of the-vine: is loopedtaround the. curved prti0n-23Zzofthe stationaryxjaw and vthesoperator can use two hands to; accomplish this loopingoperationxbecause the movable jaw is closed automatically against the 1 stationary jaws'and grips the butt end of the vine therebetween after the vine hasbeen placed'in' position bythe operator; The jaw-closing means is spacedfar' enough from the loading platform Ito permiti the-vines to be looped around l thecurved portions 23abefore thejaws 24 swinginto closed position;

Although I' disclose and describe a stationary hop picking machine, it is obvious that the "frame A'could' be made portable so as to be movedfrom= place to place.

I" claim:

11' In ahop-picking machine, a plurality" of picking drums arrangedin two'substantially parallel rows,the drums having hop-picking means thereoni describing circumferential paths when the drums are rotated, the drums in one row being staggered. with respect to those in the other row and .the'vertical distanc between the plane of the axes of'the drumsin one row and the'plane of the axes of the drums of the other'rowbeing less thanthe diameters-of said circumferential paths so that an undulating" path of substantial the staggering of the drums causing the hop pick-' ingmeans to remove hopsicontinuously from the vines atthe top; and bottom of the path. throughout-,zthe entirelengthof the path.

25111 a hop-picking machine, a plurality of picking drums arranged in two substantially par- 1 allel rows, the drums in one :row being :staggered 3 withjxespect .to' those in. the other" rowto form anundulating path between the two drum rows ot substantialequal depth throughout, an undu lating trade-conforming to the undulating 1 path, means-movable along the track" for moving "vines 8 along the uundulating-i :path, and: hop=picking meanscarriedibye the:drums for removihg 'hops fromtthe vines asthey pass'between the two: rows of drums:

3.1m a hop-picking machine,- a plurality ofpicking drums arranged in-two substantiallypan' allel rows, the drums in one row being staggered with respect to those in the other row to form an undulating path between the two drums of substantial; equal depth. throughout, an undulating; trackconformingg to the undulating path,- .vine graspenbars;movablealong the track for pulling vines in'a weavy motion .between the drums, andhopl-picking. means carried by the drum forremoving hops from the vines;

4: In a hop-picking machine, a pairv of endlesswire cables, pulleys carryingthe cables and supporting; .them-, in parallel. relation, vine: grasper' bars extending between the cables andbeingslidablyJ carried thereby, knobs spaced along the cables and rigidlysecured to the cables, the knobs in one cable being aligned with those in the other, certain ofithe knobs contacting with the bars for:

moving-:them, and knob-engaging members on: the pulleys, the knobs on the cablesand the.

members on the pulleys being disposed close enough .togetherso that at leastone member is engaging with a knob at all times, whereby a synchronous rotation of the'pulleys willcause the and thenimoving the Vines between th'e' drun'is back to front of the machine, undulating tracks for causing the vine gripping means to weave the vinesalong the undulating passage between thedrums, automatic means for" causing the vine grippingmeans to grip the vines at the front of the'machine; and automatic means "for causing the vine gripping means to free the vines afterthe' ary and. cooperating swingable': vine-gripping members carriedb'y the bar, levers 'p'ivotally can riedby the bar and-"beingoperatively 'connected to th'eswinging members and having theirfree ends swingable toward the bar for movingthe' members into vine-gripping "positionan'd swingable away-from the. bar for moving the members mmvine -releasin'g position-"spring means for yieldingly holding the levers and mem'bers in the positions into whicl'i they have been swung, bell crank levers placed in the path of "the moving bars and" having their pivoted :axes extehding'at right angles to the path of "movement of 'the' bar, one -leg of; each bell-crank lever being actuated each time a bar moves thereby and causing-the otherleggtoengage and move the free end ofitsassociate lever toward the bar for movingthe' swinging member into vine-gripping positionw'ith its stationary member;

7 In* a hop picking machine, a vine grasperv b'ar, m'eansfor moving the baralong a pathfstae' tionary and cooperating; swingable vine-gripping members carried by the bar, levers pivotally "carried by the bar and being operatively connected to the swinging members and having their free ends swingable toward the bar for moving the members into vine-gripping position and swingable away from the bar for moving the members into vine-realeasing position, spring means for yieldingly holding the levers and members in the positions into which they have been swung, a swinging U-shaped arm placed in the path of the moving bars and having its pivotal axis extending at right angles to the path of movement of the bar, one side of the arm being contact-ed and moved each time a, bar moves thereby, the other side of the U-shaped arm also being moved and carrying a cam that is forced between the bar and the free ends of the levers for swinging the levers and the swingable members into open position.

8. In a, hop picking machine, vine grasper bars, means for moving the bars along a path, stationary and cooperating swingable vine-gripping members carried by the bar, levers pivotally carried by the bars and being operatively connected. to the swinging members and having their free ends swingable toward the bar for moving the members into vine-gripping position and swingable away from the bar for moving the members into vine-releasing position, spring means for yieldingly holding the levers and members in the positions into which they have been swung, spring-pressed bell-crank levers placed in the path of the moving bars and having their pivotal axes extending at right angles to the path of movement of the bars, one leg of each bell-crank lever being actuated each time a bar moves thereby and causing the other leg to engage and move the free end of its associate lever toward the bar for moving the swinging member into vine-grim ping position with its stationary member, said spring pressed bell-crank levers returning to in-- itial positions after the bar has passed, a spring pressed U-shaped arm also placed in the path of the moving bars and having its pivotal axis extending at right angles to the path of movement of the bars, one side of the arm being contacted and moved each time a bar moves thereby, the other side of the U-shaped arm also being moved and carrying a cam that is forced between the bar and the free ends of the levers for swinging the levers and the swingable members into open position, said spring pressed U-shaped arm returning to initial position after each bar passes.

9. In a hop-picking machine, a plurality of hop-picking drums arranged in two rows with a number of drums in each row; the drums having hop-picking means thereon describing circumferential paths when the drums are rotated, the drums in one row being spaced longitudinally from the drums in the other row and the planes of the drum axes of the two rows being spaced apart a distance less than the diameters of said circumferential paths to form an undulating path of subtantially uniform depth therebetween, and means for moving hop vines in a. weavy motion identical to the course of the undulating path for aiding the vines in following the undulating path.

10. In a hop-picking machine, a plurality of drums arranged in two rows with a number of drums in each row, all of the drums in one row being spaced longitudinally frOm the adjacent drum in the other row throughout the entire hop-picking area of the machine, the diagonal spacings of the drums in one row from the adjacent drums in the other row being greater than the distance between planes extending tangentially to confronting peripheries of the drums in the two rows, means for advancing hop vines between the two rows of drums from one end of the rows to the other end thereof, all of said diagonal spacing being substantially uniform with one another, whereby the vines will be subjected to substantially uniform compressive pressure as they pass through all of said diagonal spacings, and hop-picking means on the drum for removing hops from the vines as the latter are advanced.

11. In a hoppicking machine, a plurality of picking drums, a plurality of vine grasper bars for moving vines past the drums, endless Wire cables for moving the bars, said bars being s1idably secured to the cables at spaced points and extending transversely between the cables, pulleys supporting the cables, projections spaced along the cables and rigidly secured thereto, certain of the projections contacting with the bars for moving them, and certain of the pulleys having cooperating projections for engaging with the cable projections for moving the cables in unison for maintaining the bars at the proper angle with respect to the cables at all times.

12. In a hop-picking machine, a plurality of picking drums arranged in two spaced rows and staggered so as to provide an undulating path therebetween of uniform depth, a, plurality of vine grasper bars for moving vines between the drums, endless cables for moving the bars, means for moving the cables in synchrony with each other, said bars being secured to the cables at spaced points, an undulating track for supporting the bars, the undulations coinciding with the undulations of the path, and rollers secured to the bars and riding on the undulating track for aiding in moving the hop vines through the undulating path.

13. The herein described method of removing hops from vines which consists in moving a layer of the Vines along an undulating space while subjecting the vines to substantially uniform compressive pressure during their entire movement along the undulating space, causing the vines to undulate as they move while extending lengthwise of the space and thus pass through a plurality of arcs to be bent in their travel to aid in exposing the hops to be picked by the continual weaving of the vines as they they are moved, and in continually removing hops from the series of arced portions of the layer of Vince as they are moved along the entire length of the undulating space.

FLORIAN F. DAUENHAUER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,054,122 Horst Feb. 25, 1913 1,054,551 Horst Feb. 25, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 93,986 Germany Aug. 25, 1923 

